Obesity Rates & Trends

Obesity rates declined in 31 states and three territories, increased in four states, and remained stable in the rest from 2010 to 2014 among 2- to 4-year-olds enrolled in WIC (the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children). Rates exceeded 15 percent in 18 states and ranged from a low of 8.2 percent in Utah and a high of 20.0 percent in Virginia to in 2014.

According to the most recent data, adult obesity rates now exceed 35 percent in four states, 30 percent in 25 states and are above 20 percent in all states. Louisiana has the highest adult obesity rate at 36.2 percent and Colorado has the lowest at 20.2 percent.

After decades of increasing, the national childhood obesity rate has leveled off and the rise in obesity among adults is beginning to slow. This is progress, but rates are alarmingly higher than they were a generation ago as demonstrated by this report, which looks at data over the past 25 years.

Mississippi has the highest rate of diabetes at 14.7 percent. Ten of the 12 states with the highest type 2 diabetes rates are in the South. The CDC projects that one-in-three adults could have diabetes by 2050.

Eighty percent of American adults do not meet the government's national physical activity recommendations for aerobic and muscle strengthening. Mississippi had the highest reported percentage of inactivity among adults at 36.8 percent.

According to the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), 13.9 percent of high school students were obese, and an additional 16.0 percent were overweight. State obesity rates among high school students ranged from a low of 10.3 percent in Montana to a high of 18.9 percent in Mississippi, with a median of 13.3 percent.

Nearly one in four (23.4 percent) women are obese before becoming pregnant — which can increase the risk for a wide range of health complications for the baby and the mother. More than 6 percent (approximately one in 16) of pregnant women have or develop diabetes during pregnancy — known as gestational diabetes.

Around 3.5 percent of U.S. children and teens (ages 2 to 19) are underweight. Combining underweight (3.5 percent) and obese (17 percent) children — 20.5 percent of children have increased health risks due to being an unhealthy weight.

This special report explores challenges and promising strategies for addressing obesity in Black and Latino communities across America. Learn more about obesity rates among adults and children of color, the inequities that contribute to higher obesity rates in communities of color, and recommendations for improving health among these populations.

Obesity is one of the biggest drivers of preventable chronic diseases and healthcare costs in the United States. Currently, estimates for these costs range from $147 billion to nearly $210 billion per year.

Individuals with lower income and/or education levels are disproportionately more likely to be obese. More than 33 percent of adults who earn less than $15,000 per year are obese, compared with 24.6 percent of those who earned at least $50,000 per year.